Medical instruments and parenteral drugs are sterilized prior to use. A traditional sterilization process uses steam under pressure. Alternative sterilization processes use ethylene oxide, hydrogen peroxide, or peracetic acid in the vapor form as the sterilant.
Sterilization processes using peracid solutions may be performed in a sterilization chamber. During a typical sterilization cycle, the instruments being sterilized are exposed to a sterilization solution containing, for example about 2000 ppm or 2500 ppm of peracetic acid. The instruments are exposed to the solution for a sufficient time at a sufficiently high enough temperature, e.g., 50.degree. C.-60.degree. C., for the sterilization to be effective.